Forget Tim Tebow and the “your unborn child could be a college football player” hype. The Protestant Churches of England took that ball and ran with it, perhaps unintentionally? Their Christmas promotion poster goes back in time 2000 years (with

portable ultrasound machine) and peeks into the womb of Mary to show Jesus as a fetus.

Protestant Churches are finalising the campaign that shows a scan of ‘baby Jesus in the Virgin Mary’s womb’, with the halo over the baby’s head. It will feature on billboards over Christmas with the following text: ‘He’s on His way. Christmas starts with Christ.’

It has been created by advertising executives from the Church of England, Methodist, United Reformed and Baptist Churches. The baby in the adverts is a composite made up of many baby scans. The posters will appear only close to Christmas, but will be available for purchase online.

But supposedly the ad is NOT meant to be pro-life propaganda. It’s just supposed to make Christmas feel real and exciting again.

The Bishop of Reading, the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, said: ‘For many parents pregnancy gets real when you see the image from the ultrasound scan. It tells you something is actually kicking off.

‘We’ve got so used to the tinsel wrapped cosiness of the carefully packaged 21st century consumer-fest Christmas, that its astonishing reality – an actual pregnancy, a God come down to earth – is easily missed.’

Anti-choice activists are salivating over the ad, of course: 

John Smeaton, the director of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, told The Times: ‘This advertisement sends a powerful message to everyone in Britain where 570 babies are killed every day in the womb, 365 days a year, under the Abortion Act. Whenever we kill an unborn child in an abortion, we are killing Jesus.’

Just in case you skimmed that last line, it bears repeating: “Whenever we kill an unborn child in an abortion, we are killing Jesus.”

A representative from the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson, had other thoughts on the poster:

‘At first glance it looks like a poster for a horror film — perhaps The Omen VI: He’s Coming to Get You,’ he said.

Mini-roundup: Shocker: all your Facebook friends don’t necessarily want to know that the baby is crowning.

June 8

Signature gatherers to bring abortion issue to state’s polling places – Great Falls Tribune

Florida’s ultrasound-before-abortion bill sponsor says it’s not about ideology – MiamiHerald.com

A Short History of “Feminist” Anti-Feminists  – Slate Magazine

Anti-abortion activist arrested – Congress.org (blog)

Abortion Advocates Blast Parental Notification Law After Teen’s Pencil Abortion – LifeNews.com

Crist could veto abortion bill – Pensacola News Journal

THREE WAYS TO SAVE WOMEN’S LIVES – Ms. Magazine

4 state senators seek override of governor’s KidCare veto – Anchorage Daily News

Abortion Drugs Given in Iowa via Video Link – New York Times

Laws to Restrict Abortion – New York Times

Gates Foundation pledges $1.5 billion for maternal, child health – Seattle Times

New vaginal ring borrows from birth control to fight AIDS – AFP

Evangelicals OK with birth control – Baltimore Sun (blog)

Gates Foundation Pledges $1.5 Billion for Maternal Health – Lifesite

The “Several Mornings After” Pill – Babble Magazine (blog)

What our daughters and sons deserve – Twin Cities Planet (blog)

Gates Foundation pledges $1.5bn for maternal, child health – The Money Times

White House Summit Looks into AIDS and Black Men – Washington Informer

Women Deliver conference focuses on MDG 5 – UNAIDS

Campaign could weigh into Crist decision on abortion bill – Brandon News and Tribune

The End of Men – The Atlantic

Maternal Health Still A Major Global Issue – NPR

Neurotic women ‘more fertile than laid-back peers’, say scientists – Daily Mail

Another price of family violence: obese kids – Reuters

Study indicates many breast cancer patients also contracted mammary-tumor virus – Seattle Times

Making the G8 maternal health campaign meaningful – Globe and Mail

June 9

Parnell takes ‘state business’ to Focus on the Family – Alaska Dispatch

Shocked, sickened: Rape-abortion suspect should be in prison, says his father – Pocono Record

Protestant churches use baby Jesus for anti-abortion campaign – Sify

A Victory for Pro-Life Female Candidates – FOXNews

More to ‘the pill’ story – The Free Lance-Star

HIV-positive acrobat to be released – Sydney Morning Herald

More teens think it’s OK to be single, pregnant – Aurora Beacon News

Christians blamed for anti-gay hatred in Uganda – San Francisco Chronicle

HIV organisations want green light to hand out condoms at World Cup events – Times LIVE (blog)

Purpose of teaching sex ed questioned – Cebu Daily News

Veto of Denali KidCare funds shames state, hurts the poor – Anchorage Daily News

Tweeting, Facebooking in pregnancy, delivery – Philadelphia Inquirer